Drop-top Aston Martin DB11 lands Down Under

ASTON Martin has expanded its number of DB11 variants to three with the addition of the V8-powered Volante convertible, which at $398,495 plus on-roads will command a $30,495 premium over its hard-top counterpart.

Its asking price makes it nearly $30,000 cheaper than the hard-top V12 Coupe, and pits it against other premium drop-tops such as the Bentley Continental GT V8 ($443,700), Ferrari Portofino ($398,888) and McLaren 570S Spider ($435,750).

First deliveries of the Volante are expected to arrive in May, and Aston Martin Asia Pacific president Patrik Nilsson said the initial success of the DB11 Coupe bodes well for the convertible.

“In the Volante market, I am very positive,” Mr Nilsson said, adding that he believes the Volante can perform as well as its hard-top sibling, and has received “significant interest”.

He described the response to the DB11 Coupe as “fantastic”, adding there is a high “amount of pent-up demand for a new Aston Martin taking the place of the DB9”.

Mr Nilsson said Volante may not sell as well in other south-east Asian markets where there is less of an appetite for convertibles, however traditionally there has been no such problem in Australia.

While the Coupe has the choice of a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 or 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12, the Volante is offered only with the bent-eight which pumps out 375kW/675Nm from its Mercedes-AMG-derived heart.

The extra weight of the Volante’s folding roof mechanism meant the addition of the heavier V12 engine would blunt the car’s performance, according to Aston Martin.

Completing the zero to 100km/h sprint takes 4.1 seconds (0.1s slower than the Coupe), on to a top speed of 300km/h.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, while a limited-slip differential mounted to the rear axle helps push that power down to the road.

Aston Martin has been able to reduce the weight of the DB11 Volante by 26kgs over its DB9 predecessor through the use of its new bonded architecture, while increasing torsional stiffness by five per cent.

The roof mechanism has been tested for a lifecycle of 100,000 open and close cycles, and then tested for quality in a range of environments ranging from the Arctic Circle to Death Valley.

Consisting of eight layers, the roof takes 14 seconds to fully open or close, and can be done at speeds of up to 50km/h. The new set-up also frees up an extra 20 per cent of boot space compared to the DB9.

The DB11 Volante comes with three variable powertrain and chassis modes, adaptive damping, ventilated disc brakes with six-piston front and four-piston rear callipers, and independent double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension.

Inside, it gains leather interior, Alcantara headliner, 360-degree camera, heated front seats satellite navigation and for owners with families, Isofix points for the rear seats.